“…he shall pay it with its principal, adding its fifths to it…” Vayikra (Leviticus) – Chapter 5, Verse 24 According to Torah law, a thief who voluntarily returns what he has […]
Parshas Vayikra discusses the mitzvot of animal sacrifice for the purpose of atonement. In Judaism, the yetzer hatov and the yetzer hara are two forces within us: the inclination to […]
Parshas Vayikra begins with discussing various sacrifices which one could bring voluntarily, without a specific circumstance obligating him to do so. Rabbi Ya’akov Yisroel Kanievsky ponders (in Birchas Peretz) why […]
In addition to the usual Torah reading, this week we read Parshas Shkalim, which discusses the Mitzvah (commandment) of Machtzis Hashekel. This Mitzvah was a unique, annual fundraising campaign, which […]
Purim 101 – An Oorah Holiday Guide Oorah’s “10 Minute” guides are designed to help you “find your way around” the Yomim Tovim that mark the Jewish year. Our heritage […]
Parshas Vayikra talks about the karbanos, the sacrifices, that the Jews were commanded to bring in the times of the mishkan and the beis hamikdash. Look into the first pasuk […]
A short, inspirational thought for Parshat Vayikra with TorahMates coordinator Rabbi Mordechai Horowitz
The main topic of the book of Vayikra (Leviticus) is the korbanos, sacrificial service. This is a topic that is generally poorly understood and one that is often surrounded by […]
An Edifice to House God’s Presence?! This week’s Torah reading concludes the description of the construction of the Mishkan (Tabernacle). The building of the Mishkan culminates with the Shechinah (God’s […]
Extra Time to Plan Ahead An extra Adar has got some of us planning for Pesach even earlier. With a few extra weeks to get things done, we can perhaps […]
Our Talents – A Personal Command from God In this week’s Torah reading, Moshe (Moses) says to the Jews (Shemot 35:30) in reference to the construction of the Mishkan (Tabernacle), […]
How Could They Fall So Low? This week’s Torah reading, Parshat Ki Tisa, relates the sin of the Golden Calf. While Moshe (Moses) was absent from the camp of the […]
Straphangers Living in Monsey, New York, and not working in New York City, I don’t really have occasion to ride the bus very often. When I was visiting Israel, I […]
A Mitzvah is Like a Candle This week’s Torah reading mentions the lighting of the menorah, the special golden candelabra which was placed in the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and later in […]
A House Large Enough For God? In this week’s Torah reading, Parshat Terumah, God instructs the Jews to build the Mishkan (Tabernacle), a place of worship upon which God will […]
Ask the Rabbi with Rabbi Chaim Mintz We say, “When Adar arrives, we increase happiness.” Where is the source for this, and why is the month of Adar, specifically, such […]
Charity – A Kindness for Yourself In this week’s Torah reading, the verse says (22:24), “When you lend money to a poor person with you, you should not pressure him […]
< Lesson 10: Making Egg Salad and Tuna Salad on Shabbos Lesson 11: Making Salad on Shabbos In this lesson, Rabbi Rappaport discusses the issues involved with making salads on […]